Greetings Industry Insiders,Summertime brings a host of visitors into The Natural State. How can you lure them to your property? We’re casting out some excellent advice in this message.

TripAdvisor is the largest travel site in the world. Whether or not you’ve accessed it, your property is probably on it. We’ll share how to hook consumers with this valuable tool, and the best way to capture good rankings.

Is your community trying to reel in a little financial help? Look below to discover how to net your town up to $15,000 in matching grant funds. We’ll also wade into how to make sure a customer service goof doesn’t turn into the one that got away.

Hope you enjoy the messages we’re floating your way this Industry Insider newsletter!

Joe David RiceTourism Director

Making TripAdvisor Work for You

Do you encourage your customers to utilize TripAdvisor? The world’s largest travel site has more than 200 million unique monthly visitors. Many smaller operations live and breathe on reviews posted by those users.

How do you make sure you stay at the top of those ratings? And what do you do if someone says something unpleasant about your business? We cover everything you need to know to make your property shine in this handy article.

Looking into Tourism Development? We Can Help.

Parks and Tourism is accepting applications for one-to-one matching feasibility study grants now through Friday, July 26. The tourism feasibility study grant program is designed to assist communities in Arkansas with feasibility studies pertaining to tourism attraction projects.

Grants fund research that determines the possibility and potentiality of a specific tourism attraction within city or county boundaries.

Applicants may request up to $15,000 in reimbursable matching funds. Only incorporated cities and counties can apply; individuals, chambers of commerce, nonprofits, private industry, etc. are not eligible. For additional information, call the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism at 501-682-5240 or email Kristine Puckett.

Five Techniques to Resolve Guest Service Mistakes

We all make mistakes. In the hospitality industry, we like to look at a customer service goof-up as an opportunity to make things right – and to win points with our guests along the way. Visit arhospitalitytips.com for five tips to keep in mind for the next time you owe a guest an apology.

Select Registry Adds Inn at Rose Hall to Portfolio

Prestigious Select Registry includes another Eureka Springs property in its compendium of celebrated bed and breakfast locations across North America. The Inn at Rose Hall is now one of just 350 such properties chosen for the designation.

Other Select Registry inns in Arkansas include: Arsenic and Old Lace B&B, also in Eureka Springs and Lookout Point Lakeside Inn and Hilltop Manor Bed & Breakfast, both in Hot Springs. You can view the new listing for Inn at Rose Hall here.

New Commander Oversees Little Rock Waterways

Col. Courtney W. Paul has assumed command of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Little Rock District. He replaces Col. Glen Masset, who is retiring after 31 years in the U.S. Army.

Little Rock District is responsible for a $390 million program in fiscal year 2013. It is responsible for maintaining the Arkansas River and other waterways, including 13 locks and dams, 12 multi-purpose lakes, seven hydroelectric power plants and more than a half million acres of public lands and water.

Paul came to Little Rock District from Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., where he was Director, Capabilities Development and Integration, Maneuver Support Division of Excellence.